‘Memories Are Etched, Cannot Be Erased’: Riteish Deshmukh Hits Back After BJP Chief Vows to Remove Father Vilasrao’s Legacy from Latur
Actor Riteish Deshmukh has issued a pointed response to Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan’s controversial statements regarding his late father, former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, asserting that what is deeply etched in people’s hearts cannot simply be wiped away.
Speaking at a political rally in Latur on Monday, Chavan declared that the enthusiasm and dedication displayed by BJP supporters indicated the party’s imminent victory in the area. He further claimed that the legacy and influence of late CM Vilasrao Deshmukh would soon lose its relevance in the city.
“Everyone, raise your hands and say Bharat Mata ki Jai… In a true sense, seeing your enthusiasm, one can notice that it’s a 100% fact that memories of Vilasrao Deshmukh will be wiped out for this city, and there is no doubt about it,” Chavan stated during his address.
In response to these remarks, Riteish Deshmukh released an emotional video message, saying, “I say with folded hands that the names of those who lived for the people are etched on their minds. What is written can be erased, but you can’t erase what is etched.”
The BJP chief’s comments triggered strong condemnation from the Congress party, which accused the ruling party of attempting to diminish the achievements of a leader who devoted his entire career to Maharashtra’s progress. The party characterized such statements as reflecting power-driven arrogance and a fundamental misunderstanding of Deshmukh’s enduring legacy.
Congress officials asserted that no political figure has emerged capable of erasing Vilasrao Deshmukh’s memory from Latur’s collective consciousness. “Many came with such intentions, but the self-respecting people of Latur showed them their place,” the party stated.
The opposition criticized BJP leaders for making irresponsible and disrespectful comments during their Latur visit, questioning what such politicians understand about the profound connection Vilasrao Deshmukh maintained with the city. The Congress warned that Latur’s residents would never accept any disrespect toward their “capable and illustrious son” and would deliver a forceful rebuttal to such rhetoric.
Vilasrao Deshmukh, a prominent Congress figure in Maharashtra politics, held the position of state chief minister on two occasions—from October 1999 to January 2003 and again from November 2004 to December 2008.
Congress leader and former minister Amit Deshmukh, another son of the deceased CM, strongly criticized the state BJP president’s statements. He described Chavan’s words as “extremely unfortunate and deeply distressing,” adding, “Such remarks were not expected from him or from the BJP, and they have hurt the sentiments of all Laturkars. We strongly condemn the statements in the harshest terms.”
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Amit emphasized that his late father touched every individual’s life in Latur and that his memory remains permanently imprinted in local residents’ hearts. Echoing his brother Riteish’s sentiment, Amit declared, “These memories cannot be erased simply because an outsider comes and makes remarks to that effect. BJP leaders should have been mindful of this reality.”